Almost
by drivenintomaddness1
Summary: A story of ten years later, Sarah looks back to the past.


A/N: I was listening to the radio, this song came on, and before I knew it I was writing this story. I have no idea as to wither I should continue or not. A friend of mine suggested this to be a one shot, to leave something to the imagination. I suppose I shall just have to see what happens. I know the concept has been run repeatedly and not really innovative, but here it is, read if you wish. Thank you if you do!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing in this story besides the idea of 'what if'. All characters involved in this fiction belong to those at the Jim Henson Co. Heather Dylan and Alison Sudol write the song "Almost Lover" performed by a Fine Frenzy. Again, I claim nothing besides the concept for this story.

Ten years after Sarah Williams had defeated the Labyrinth, she sits upon her bed in her one bedroom apartment in the city, so close to the morning hours. She laughed at herself, how silly she must look. All alone, no man, boyfriend nor husband, no children laughing and crying out for her to come to them, but she was happy, well almost happy. The career to be an actress might not have panned out the way she planned, but she was an author for children's books, a gifted one at that. A family that always loved her and supported her was always there for her, a loving brother, a kind father, and a wonderful woman that she no longer called stepmother but instead her mother. Friends that always loved her and cheered her up on the darkest days, but still something was missing. The night air called out to her, Sarah smiled as she opened up the window and looked up into the night sky, it was still strange sometimes to look up at the moon to her, but a ring surrounded it and made her even more curious as to its meaning. 'Enough of this, I must cheer up, music!' She cried out to herself and ran to the radio, which almost seemed to come alive without her help. Laughing at her still wild imagination, she turned up the volume.

You sang me Spanish lullabies  
The sweetest sadness in your eyes  
Clever trick

The words in her ears clipped at her heart profoundly. How she wanted to turn off the radio and never hear the song again, but her heart, no matter how damaged it was would not let her. "Cant you just let me be." Oh, how she wished that all he memories would let her be...."Fear me love me..." 'No stop', Sarah muttered to herself aloud to stop thinking about that dreadful yet most wonderful 13 hours of her life. She had to become an adult so soon, for her family, for her brother, and gave up the chance for her dreams.

I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?

Tears started to well up in her eyes, how much she wanted to undo the time that she spent their ten years ago and start over. She groaned and stood up and looked up at the moon and the circle that enveloped it. She could not though, no matter how much she dreamed that she could, she would not. Her pride was too much to bow down to someone just because they offered her the moon. That was not who she was or the person that she had grown to become. Yet thinking about him, his smile, laughter, and those piercing eyes that tore through her soul, even at the age of fifteen, it made her quiver from her toes all the way up her spine. Sarah smiled at the memories, how foolish she must have looked, and a teenager who was trying to become a woman and had her heart stolen by a king. The song was almost over...she would be able to survive the last moments, she knew she could, but her memories kept pulling her back to him.

You took my hand and danced with me

Before she knew it, Sarah was singing along with a heartbreaking song that was daring her to remember. Remember that night when he danced with her, the night that he stole her heart for so long. How he felt when they danced together, the look in his eyes when he sang to her.

I cannot wake up in the morning  
Without you on my mind  
So you are gone and I am haunted  
And I bet you are just fine

Did I make it that  
Easy to walk right in and out  
Of my life?

Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I am trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should have known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do

As the radio grew quiet when the song went off, Sarah felt the tears hitting her hand, she laughed, and she did not realize she was even crying. Oh how wrong she was, even after all this time, she realized that he had so much more power over her than she dared to admit aloud until now. For some reason, she felt that this was the only time in her life that she could be entirely honest with herself and the world, even if no one heard her. A deep breath was pulled into her slender form and she shuddered at the end. "Oh, how you stole my heart Goblin King. I was so wrong; you do have power over me. Oh I wish...." She whispered out into the open window, turned to the radio, shut it off, and headed to her bathroom to change for bed. Suddenly the lights flickered in her bathroom and then went completely out. "Damn. Jeff really needs to check the breaker, this is becoming ridiculous." She muttered after stubbing her toe onto her bathroom door. She muttered more profanities as she changed into a silk nightgown and looked for a candle to light.

She turned to go to her bedroom to find her cell phone to call her landlord Jeff and was suddenly aware that she was no longer alone. Noises appeared to be hushed and surround her, and something brushed up against her leg, which made her drop her candle, which never hit the ground. Sarah looked down and saw that there was a goblin there holding the candle up with his two little hands and smiling up at her. A gasp escaped her lips, "Um...thank you." She whispered and knelt down and retrieved the candle from his small hands and he laughed as she patted him on the head and scurried to her bedroom. 'Oh my God in heaven, what have I done?'

Fear completely overtook her as she followed the noises into her bedroom and saw that her window remained open, but nothing had changed, everything was still the same. Yet she still heard the noises, and the sounds of her dresser drawers, she circled around and swore that she saw the faces of the goblins that she had encountered those many years ago. A crisp feeling eroded from around her, she closed her eyes to savor the sweetness of it. It was him that smell, that smell that Sarah associated with that magical feeling that you get when you are utterly happy. The sounds of pattering feet suddenly ceased and there was awe in the room, Sarah opened her eyes. That smirk was the only thing that she could focus on, which of course drew a smile to her lips. Those eyes that had haunted her dreams for so long focused on her and only her, like they did when they danced in the ballroom in her dream. A blush touched her face, one that she hoped that he could not see due to the lights being out and the only light in the room was the moonlight and her candle. She dared not to speak; her voice was caught in her throat.

"Hello Sarah."


End file.
